Kemper Goodwin
28 Apr 1906 - 24 Dec 1997
diedArizona, USA
bornTempe, Arizona, USA
SchooltblData
BiographyArchitect. Attended Tempe High School and enrolled in an American Correspondence School architecture course. Attended Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California in 1924, and then enrolled in the architecture school at USC. He worked his way through USC, taking jobs with the Santa Fe Railroad, the telephone company, and architectural firms. In 1928, still short of the necessary credits for his architecture degree, he left USC and returned to Arizona to work for the architecture firms of Fitzhugh and Byron, and Lescher and Mahoney. In 1931, he passed the required tests and obtained his registration as an Arizona architect. Worked for several years in El Paso, Texas, but soon returned to Tempe. He worked for the Phoenix architectural firm of Lescher and Mahoney, 1935-1942. IN 1941-'42 was Tempe building Inspector.He then worked for the Del E. Webb Construction Company, working on various defense projects, 1942-1944. Worked for Womack Construction Company, 1944-1945. In 1945, he opened his own office, in the "Dog House," a tiny building behind the family home at 111 East 5th Street in Tempe.
In 1967, associated with his architect son in the Michael and Kemper Goodwin, Ltd. architectural firm in Tempe.
He designed many buildings for ASU, including the expansion of Matthews Library, and construction of the Memorial Union, the Men's Physical Education Building, the Life Sciences and Physical Science Buildings, the Infirmary, Wilson Hall, the remodeling of Old Main, the Language and Literature Building, the Swimming Pool, and the Central Plant. He also designed many Tempe elementary schools, the original Salt River Project building, Tempe's First Congregational Church, the bleachers and dormitory of ASU's Goodwin Stadium (named for his father), the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium, McClintock High School, and Valley Presbyterian Church of Scottsdale.
Tempe City Councilman, 1936-1938 and 1948-1954.
President of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, 1951; President of the Arizona Association of Architects; Member of the State Board of Certification for Architects; President of the Tempe Rotary Club; Recipient of the American Legion Post "Americanism Award."
Lived on Mill Avenue in 1910; lived at 116 E. 6th Street in 1940.
OSB 93; TH-311
BIO-Goodwin
Kemper Goodwin obit, AR, 1 Jan 1998
Federal census (Tempe), 1910
Smith, Tempe; Arizona Crossroads, p. 174
Tempe Telephone Directory, 1940 Tempe CD 1936,'38, '39, '41-'42
Person TypeIndividual
